The Love Series: Whatever You’ve Done to the Least of These

We’ve reached the end of the series and I hope you have enjoyed studying the theology of love as much as I have. Last week, we talked about salvation and how love is ultimately what is required in order to be saved. This week, we’ll be talking about why love is the standard by which we will all be judged and why that means that ANY doer of the law can and WILL be justified. 

Earlier in the series, we talked about God’s reason for bringing us into existence despite knowing what the consequences would be. We established that it was because of sin that mercy was brought into active exercise. Again, unconditional love without someone undeserving to give it to is essentially just talk. Thus, I believe it’s fair to conclude that when all of this began, God had something to prove: one, that His love truly is unconditional; and two, that unconditional love is the only way to have a life more abundant. Revelation 15 describes a scene where a song is being sung:

“And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

“Great and amazing are your deeds,
    O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
    O King of the nations!

Who will not fear, O Lord,
    and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
    All nations will come
    and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.” Revelation 15:3-4

In order for the lyrics of that song to ring true, God has to show that He is all of those things. For such praise to be given, He has to reveal why He’s worthy. How are His ways “just and true”? Are His rules fair? Is the method of salvation consistent and fair for everyone, no matter what? I believe they are, but foundation is key, and it is especially critical to have proper context when thinking about the final judgment. 

First, we have to understand that love is true freedom. If God is love and everything He does is out of love and the law is a transcript of His character that is fulfilled through love, then I think it’s fair to conclude that heaven is a society based on the principal of love. “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.” Galatians 5:13-15. A society built on love depends on everyone caring about everyone else. A society built on love polices itself because love does no harm to another. A society built on love doesn’t have to protect people from each other or from themselves because love is self-sacrificing. Everyone lives out the principles of loving God above anything else and loving your neighbor as yourself. There is no room for things like selfishness, greed, envy, or self-righteousness. People who understand unconditional love now will be able to appreciate that kind of society. People who don’t understand unconditional love now and don’t care to probably wouldn’t enjoy heaven so much. 

Second, we have to understand that we don’t have to save ourselves. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10. I didn’t ask to be here. I didn’t ask to be the person that I am. I didn’t ask to be flawed and finite. But here I am. If I put my child in danger, isn’t it my job as a loving parent to save them? And if I leave them to figure it out on their own or create a bunch of hoops they have to jump through in order to be deemed worthy of salvation, what does that say about me? If God is love, He has to be the one to save us….because not only are we incapable of saving ourselves, but we shouldn’t have to. 

Lastly, we have to understand that judgment is not based on moving targets of who knew what, when and varying standards of morality depending upon who you are and where you come from. Judgment is based on the one standard…the one rule…that always has been and always will be universal: love.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:31-46

This is the reason why we started the One Rule Church. This is the reason why I felt it was necessary to create a space where people could maintain their respective beliefs while coming together in agreement about the one thing that matters more than anything else. Perspective is always limited to what we can see and no human being anywhere is capable of having a complete perspective on an infinite God. I don’t believe for a second that the God who confused the languages and scattered the people at the Tower of Babel abandoned everyone in that moment and then eventually chose to only reveal Himself to Abram (who was a “heathen” at the time, mind you). There are so many religions in the world and most people on this planet feel the need for some sort of spirituality or belief in a higher power, but that’s coincidental? And the golden rule…love….is fundamental to every world religion in existence today, but people have to hear the gospel and specifically believe in Jesus Christ to be saved? The Bible says otherwise. 

“For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

“For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law.For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.” Romans 2:12-29

 Conclusion

It’s there in black and white. It’s the same thing Jesus said to the rich young ruler. There is no “good deed” that any of us can do to be saved and we have not been called to be obedient to a man made list of do’s and don’ts. That’s pharisaical. We have been called to ask the question, “What is the most loving thing I can do in this situation?” and to do that. No matter how hard it gets. No matter how much we may not feel like it. No matter how much easier just sticking to a list would be. We have been called to love each other the way that God loves us. And it is BECAUSE of our differences….it is BECAUSE of our flaws….it is BECAUSE of our humanity that mercy is called into active exercise in our lives every single day. If you believe that God is a God of love and you believe that it is our privilege to love each other as He loves us, then you know salvation isn’t about ego. It’s not about being right and punishing people who didn’t see. It’s not about looking for any reason to keep people out of heaven. It’s about looking for any reason to let them in. And that’s the difference between people who love and people who don’t. Heaven isn’t a reward for the people who did everything right (prodigal son’s older brother, anyone?) and Christianity isn’t some exclusive club that you have to be a part of to get in. Heaven is about God redeeming His children…all of His children…and reconciling us to Him. If we can’t learn to love each other and respect our differences and leave the authoring and finishing of faith to God on earth, how we can expect to be happy doing it in Heaven? I can’t speak for anyone else….but I don’t want to miss out and I don’t want to wait until the last minute to figure it out. I want to experience true, Godly freedom right now. Don’t you?